00:00Although last year would remind you they were three and one last year after four games.
00:04And, you know, we all started to come off after the first couple of weeks.
00:07But this is definitely the the beginning that we were hoping for.
00:11And at least so far, we're getting OK.
00:13Pre-game's coming up at five o'clock. First pitch at five thirty five.
00:16And it is time now for the Jake Berger show here on the fan brought to you by Golden Chick
00:20and Globe Life for over one hundred twenty five years.
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00:26Globe Life make tomorrow better and a good afternoon.
00:29How you doing, Jake? Good. Good. How are you doing?
00:33Wonderful, man. Putting on a laser show up there locked in.
00:37I mean, does the ball look like a big old brisket sandwich as it's on its way to the plate
00:41these days or what?
00:43You know, you could say that for sure.
00:45No, it's been a good start to the year.
00:48And, you know, for me, it's felt really good in spring just with my routine and dialed in.
00:53You know, I love playing for Skip in Miami.
00:56And now that it's here, I'm excited to keep that going.
01:00So what do you do?
01:02What do you try to keep in mind when you got it going to keep it going?
01:05You know, I think it's easy for us to tinker and stuff.
01:09And if something doesn't feel right, you kind of throw in a new a new drill or something to get
01:14that feel back.
01:15But, you know, for me, it's just sticking to what I know best and what gets me locked in.
01:22And it's sticking to that routine day in and day out and not fall throwing from it.
01:26You know, just knowing that you're not going to have to be the guy every single night to hit a
01:30home run is always great as well.
01:32You know, I think one through nine and all of our bench guys, you know, I feel like have contributed
01:37in some way in the game so far.
01:40And so that always gives confidence to everybody in the lineup.
01:42We knew it going into the season, but you got thrown at the gauntlet of Philly pitchers there with some
01:47really, really good ones.
01:48Sanchez on opening day.
01:50Overall, how did you think you guys worked as a lineup coming out of that and then starting it with
01:54Chris Bassett last night?
01:56Yeah, you know, I think I think we did a really good job up in Philly to take two or
01:59three.
01:59I mean, that's obviously a tough place to go into and take two or three and win a series.
02:04You know, Sanchez is a bona fide ace in this league.
02:07And, you know, he's second in Cy Young last year and he showed us why.
02:12And, you know, I think we took some really good at-bats off of him.
02:15And I think what's cool about this team is it doesn't seem to be the same guy every single night
02:19right now.
02:20It's, you know, one through nine, we can hurt you in different ways.
02:23And each guy has their own skill set and knows exactly what their role is in that lineup on a
02:29nightly basis.
02:31Jake Berger here with you on the fan.
02:32How much was the win defactor out there in Philadelphia?
02:36Yeah, that was, you know, a game two.
02:38I'd like to pop us back, but we ended up winning.
02:43So, you know, anytime you make an air like that, it's frustrating.
02:48And, you know, you try and work your butt off for these pitchers that are making unbelievable pitches against a
02:55good lineup.
02:55And you kind of know the implications of, you know, using another bullpen guy and being short staffed for that
03:01Sunday.
03:02But, you know, if you had a homer in that game, it feels a little better when you put your
03:05head on the pillow at night.
03:07You know, for sure.
03:08You had to knock on out in that game.
03:10Who's been made fun of more since that?
03:12Is it that play right there and you're taking heat from the teammates?
03:15Or is it laughing at the crappiest umpire in baseball now, C.B. Buckner?
03:21Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see what umpires get exposed with this ABS.
03:26But, you know, I think the guys still aren't done razzing me about the pop-ups.
03:32But, you know, I think that'll be an all-year thing.
03:36Does it make it better when you go to the ground like, hey, guys, I gave it my all?
03:40Or would you rather stay on your feet in that situation?
03:44Well, I think for yourself, you know, you've got to swallow your pride a little bit, stay on your feet.
03:50But if you don't want the air, you know, I feel like acting like the sun's in the way or
03:54you can't see it.
03:55You know, I think there's a little soccer-ish tactic to it.
04:00You know, going down a little flop so you don't get the air.
04:05That face-down reverse snow angel is a hell of a look, dude.
04:09Yeah, the body salsa that night, too.
04:12Well, and it was freezing out there.
04:13I mean, we saw Sandler in the pregame.
04:15He's all bundled up and his teeth are chattering.
04:18And how opening weekend in Philly, it kind of stinks that it's freezing out there.
04:22Yeah, yeah.
04:23And, you know, at first base, you get a lot of traffic there and a lot of conversation.
04:26And I think each one of the Phillies guys, and myself included in this combo, saying,
04:33I think at least the first two weeks, you know, start in the south or start in the dome.
04:38You know, it makes too much sense.
04:40But, you know, the cards are dealt, and to take two or three early from them is huge.
04:45So you were saying you really like playing for Skip.
04:48What is it that you like about him?
04:50You know, I think there's a mutual trust between us.
04:53And, you know, I think one of the best things a manager can do in the big leagues is communicate
04:57really well.
04:58And, you know, I felt like from day one, I was with him in 2023 in Miami.
05:02He always communicated what the role was, where I was going to be at.
05:07You know, I remember game three, I was sitting actually in Texas.
05:12It was the third game I was with Miami, and he came out to me.
05:15He was like, enjoy this off day because you're not getting another one the rest of the season.
05:19And so, you know, just communicating like that and knowing that a manager has your back and then is going
05:26to communicate with you
05:27and tell you where he's at with you, I think that's pivotal.
05:31And, you know, with that trust and just the conversations we had in spring,
05:37him putting me in the four hole every single night and just showing that trust in me, you know,
05:41kind of frees up the mind a little bit to go out there and just do what I do.
05:44You mentioned, you know, we started talking about starting on the road.
05:49Is that one of those things where you go straight from, like, go from spring training?
05:53Would you rather start at home?
05:55And I know the weather and stuff could be factors, but are you just now looking forward to getting back
06:01to home
06:01and, like, getting back into a routine?
06:03Or is it better starting on the road and kind of getting that under your belt a little bit?
06:09You know, I kind of go back and forth on that.
06:11Yeah, I've thought about that a decent amount over this road trip.
06:15And for me, I think it's better to start on the road just because you can kind of get your
06:21feet wet in a big league game.
06:23You get that adrenaline.
06:24And then, you know, you have six games, you know, coming back home.
06:30Your feet are wet.
06:31You're kind of up to speed.
06:32And then you have the opening day festivities, which are really fun at home.
06:37But I think it's better just to kind of stay in that groove.
06:40You know, you're not – you know, I look back at the Phillies home opener.
06:44They had the guys walking in from center field giving fans high fives through the field.
06:49And it's just, you know, your routine's not dialed in as much when you're at home versus, you know,
06:55when you're on the road.
06:56It's like, yeah, you've got to do the introductions.
06:57But that's really all the obligations you have.
07:00And so I think I'd probably prefer starting on the road.
07:04But it just makes, you know, if you can take two or three from Philly and win a series here
07:09in Baltimore,
07:10you come back on a high note, it's pretty exciting to get back in front of the home fans.
07:15I was going to ask you, I was an NFL scout for 13 years, and I lived in hotel rooms
07:20and stuff.
07:20Do you have a hotel routine that you do when you go on the road?
07:26Yeah, so it depends solely based on if my family's there or not.
07:31You know, I think there's some hotel rooms set up with some cribs and, you know,
07:35making sure the stuffed animals are in the proper place.
07:38There you go.
07:39You'll get yelled at by a three-year-old.
07:42Many people know.
07:44You know, and the arm's got to be in the exact right spot, you know.
07:48Right.
07:49Yeah.
07:50Yeah, so obviously when they're with me, we kind of get into that routine.
07:55And then when I'm by myself, it's more, all right, like, you know,
07:59let's try and figure out who wants to play video games with me,
08:02and let's check out for a little bit.
08:04There you go.
08:05It's our buddy Jake Berger with us here on 105 Through the Fan.
08:07It was awesome seeing what Latsy did on Saturday, but DeGrom making his debut today.
08:12Do you get a little bit giddy like the fans do for a Jacob DeGrom star getting to watch him
08:16work at first?
08:17Oh, yeah, it fires me up.
08:19Every single time he's on the bump, it jacks all of us up in the infield and, you know,
08:25just defensively, just knowing who he is and what he does, and it just gets us excited.
08:31You know, I think it gives the offense confidence, too, that, you know,
08:34he's going to do what he does, and we go out there and perform as well.
08:39We'll see what happens.
08:40But, you know, it's always a confidence booster when you get one of your guys on the bump.
08:45Well, nice catching up with you again, Jake.
08:47Jake, congrats on this early season success, and best of luck to you.
08:52Give him help.
08:52We'll be pulling for you.
08:54Yes, sir.
08:55Thanks, guys.
08:55Salute.
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